Recap /
Star Trek: Voyager S3E8 "Future's End"

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A Starfleet timeship appears out of a temporal rift and opens fire on Voyager without warning. When Janeway can get a word in edgewise, its pilot, one Captain Braxton, claims that Voyager is responsible for a cataclysm that destroyed Earth and its entire solar system in the 29th Century. Braxton being unwilling to discuss matters, his timeship gets damaged in the subsequent exchange of fire and Voyager is pulled into the rift, emerging at...Earth! The delight of the crew is short-lived when they realise they've returned to 1996, when Earth lay devastated after the Eugenics Wars... or maybe not. And why does a 20th Century I.T. entrepreneur have access to 29th Century technology?

Applied Phlebotinum: Starling inadvertently downloads Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, which he projects using the holographic system in his office. He demands the Doctor come with him as a hostage, which Doc points out is impossible. Cue the Doctor stepping out of Starling's limousine, staring in awe and delight at everything around him. It's all thanks to a piece of 29th Century technology called a "mobile emitter", which the Doctor wears on his arm and can store and project his entire program.

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Artistic License  Geology: It is mentioned by Janeway that during an earthquake, half of California sunk into the ocean. While this is a popular notion the San Andreas fault is a strike-slip fault, meaning that intead of sinking, the Los Angles area would be moved upward.

Artistic License  Physics: When Voyager makes her low-level flight over Los Angeles, she's traveling at impulse speeds (which are well over the speed of sound), yet there's no indications of any sonic booms from an object the size of a modern-day aircraft carrier moving at supersonic (if not hypersonic) speeds through the lower atmosphere.

Attack Hello: Braxton doesn't even try talking to Voyager. He just blasts away with a Wave Motion Gun and only talks because they're able to knock it out temporarily.

Batman Grabs a Gun: After being punched several times by Butch, to no effect, the Doctor punches out Butch — a personal first, and very uncharacteristic for a medical hologram programmed to take the Hippocratic oath Up to Eleven.

Blatant Lies: Rain Robinson gets annoyed at the increasingly ridiculous fibbers she's being told by our heroes. Tuvok's Pointy Ears are a family trait; he's very sensitive about them. Tom Paris claims they're secret agents and the so-called UFO she detected is actually a KGB satellite. Rain has to inform Voyager's "expert" on this century that the USSR broke up five years ago.

Celebrity Paradox: Neelix and Kes are monitoring TV broadcasts. Would that include a popular television franchise called Star Trek?

Changed My Jumper: Humorously averted; the crew beam down in 20th Century dress, but on seeing the denizens of the Santa Monica boardwalk, conclude they could've worn their Starfleet uniforms and no-one would've noticed.

Tuvok's conclusion is mostly confirmed later when the Doctor steps into a public square in his uniform and no one so much as raises an eyebrow at him (though Rain later refers to him as "Mr. Leisure Suit" and says he has the worst fashion sense she's ever seen). Also, the survivalists evidently assume that the captive Chakotay and Torres' unfamiliar uniforms are merely those of one of the many secret government agencies they always suspected of existing though they'd never encountered it before now.

Also a Shout-Out to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in which the Enterprise crew just wore their regular off duty 23rd century outfits with only the rank insignia removed in 1980s San Francisco.

Cold-Blooded Torture: The Doctor isn't impressed when Starling tries to make him deliver information on Voyager until Starling adjusts his tactile sensors to give the Doctor the same sensation as a Man on Fire.

Come Alone: Except Starling is aware of this and brings along the Doctor as a hostage and Dunbar as backup.

Commander Crash: Chakotay crashes yet another shuttle, right after boasting of his piloting skills at Starfleet Academy.

Paris: You should have seen it when the parking enforcement officer came over to the van. Tuvok tried to use pure Vulcan logic to talk her out of giving us a citation. Chakotay: Did it work? Paris: Of course not! Tuvok: Given Mister Paris' alleged familiarity with Twentieth Century America, it is a wonder we survived the experience at all. Paris: Tuvok, has anyone ever told you you're a real freakosaurus?

Decoy Getaway: Our heroes follow Dunbar driving a semi-trailer out into the desert and blow him up. Turns out false signals were being used to make them think the timeship was on board, and Starling is about to launch it from inside the Chronowerx Building back in Los Angeles.

Disintegrator Ray: The 29th Century phaser wielded by Dunbar. Ironically it doesn't do anything that ordinary phasers can't do (at least on ST:TNG).

Doomsayer: The crew find Captain Braxton as a crazed hobo, putting up signs saying "The End is Nigh". Well, give or take nine centuries...

The Dragon: Dunbar. Doesn't stand out much as a character, but has the wherewithal to free his boss from Voyager after he's captured.

ET Gave Us I.T.: The computer revolution happens because a timeship crash-lands next to a 60's hippie who becomes an 80's yuppie (probably based on Steve Jobs) by reverse-engineering its technology. Since the Federation tend to put all of human knowledge into the computer of every single starship, Sterling was able to quickly learn what he needs to just by asking the right questions. His progress is stunted when he gets to (then) modern-day technology, however, claiming that he had reached the limit of what he could adapt from the timeship. He is planning a trip to the future to get more technology, apparently too egotistical to realize all the problems this would entail.

The shuttlecraft is used, but not until the second part of a two-parter episode and long after the audience are scratching their heads wondering why they aren't being used. Voyager tended to vary the number of shuttlecraft according to what they needed for an episode, so when the shuttlecraft crashes no one mentions taking a second one down to locate the first.

This has been acknowledged in at least one of the spin-off novels, which explains that time-travel leaves characters' molecularly out of phase with their current time period; the only way for them to get back to their own time is to repeat the circumstances that sent them through time in the first place, otherwise... well, it gets theoretical, but it's generally agreed it wouldn't work.

Hollywood Hacking: Starling is using a 29th century computer. Somehow this lets him instantly hack into Voyager, download (and wipe) a third of its database, and control and disable its systems at will. Despite his only having 20th century hacking skills. Despite Voyager's systems being completely unfamiliar to him. And despite Voyager's computers being five-century-old legacy technology as far as his tools are concerned, in a field where a ten-year gap is usually insurmountable.

Immune to Bullets: Two Right Wing Militia Fanatics shoot the Doctor full of bullets and shotgun pellets, which pass right through him to perforate the wall on the other side. They stand gaping in amazement until Doc stuns them with his phaser. B'Elanna and Chakotay are no less surprised, given that Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram shouldn't be able to walk into the room in the first place.

Incredibly Obvious Tail: Tom and Rain follow Dunbar in their van, but Rain points out they're on a desert road with no other traffic so he must know he's being followed. Sure enough a phaser-battle quickly ensues.

Missing Backblast: Averted; when Captain Janeway launches a photon torpedo manually, she's knocked down and scorched by the exhaust gasses. Knowing this, Chakotay made sure the Doctor would be on hand to treat her.

My Car Hates Me: Rain's van stalls when Dunbar is about to ram it head-on with his semi-trailer. Tom and Rain dive out the doors, when suddenly the semi explodes as Chakotay arrives in a shuttle for a Big Damn Gunship moment.

Nothing Is the Same Anymore: After two seasons, the entire writing crew was beyond fed up with the Doctor being limited to sickbay or the holodeck, so this story was primarily designed to get him the 29th century mobile emitter. From now on, he can go anywhere he wants.

Rain understandably freaks out when Dunbar and Tuvok shoot Death Rays at each other. And then again when Starling gets beamed away right in front of her.

Starling just before a photon torpedo blows him up.

Tom and Rain when Dunbar's truck tries to ram their stalled van.

Ominous Message from the Future: Captain Braxton of the timeship Aeon comes back from the 29th century with information that the entire solar system has been destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion and that Voyager was somehow involved. Now he's here to destroy them before that can happen.

Phlebotinum Breakdown: To make this episode work, the Voyager had to be without its transporter and weapons systems. Those would have made Voyager's job all too easy.

Reality Ensues: The Doctor enjoys the freedom of his new mobile emitter. Then he's told to go to the launch tubes to treat Captain Janeway, and has to admit that he doesn't know how to get there, having never been outside Sickbay or the holodeck, or walked from Point A to Point B before. Thinking on his feet, Chakotay promptly orders an ensign to escort him there.

Reed Richards Is Useless: Just the technology Starling managed to reverse-engineer from the Aeon and had installed in his office alone should have been more than enough to revolutionize numerous industries (and make him far richer than he already was). But that was just a fraction of the actual technology inherent in the timeship which he hadn't manage to figure out how to duplicate! Yet his 1996 Earth does not appear to be any more advanced than it was in the real world, clearly indicating that the majority of the technology he had puzzled out still had not been brought to market.

Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: Ex-Maquisfreedom fighters Chakotay and B'Elanna Torres crash their shuttle in Arizona, where they're captured by paranoid survivalists convinced that these uniformed strangers in an apparent stealth aircraft are part of some Government Conspiracy (a far more plausible explanation than the truth, actually). Chakotay is just starting his peaceful warrior speech when said government forces turn up, demanding they hand over the shuttle and whoever was piloting it. Unsurprisingly bullets start flying, but fortunately Tuvok and the Doctor intervene with a Big Damn Heroes. The Doctor's ability to be Immune to Bullets and stun them with a Ray Gun would hardly make them less paranoid and disbelieving of nutty conspiracy theories in the future. (Ironically, Starfleet's intervention probably saved their lives, since the Doctor and Tuvok put a stop to what could have been a deadly gun battle by merely stunning everyone with their phasers. Also, when the feds fail to find much of anyone or anything they were seeking at the compound, the survivalists are likely to get nothing worse in court than a few plea-bargained light sentences for assaulting government agents.)

Rubber-Forehead Aliens: The survivalists find B'Elanna's forehead ridges rather suspicious, but they figure the Beast comes in many guises. When a man tries to touch them, B'Elanna snarls and tries to bite his finger.

San Dimas Time: Implied; Braxton begs Janeway to let him destroy Voyager to save the future. Janeway refuses to condemn her entire crew to death on the basis of a ten-second conversation and wants more details, but Braxton just shouts, "No time!" and opens fire again.

Saying Too Much: When Rain asks where Tom learned astrophysics he replies "Starfleet Academy", then realises his blunder and says that it's an "East Coast school".

Series Continuity Error: Official Trek lore states that the Eugenics Wars occurred between 1993 and 1996. It is also known that while a good portion of North America was involved and affected (specifically, the eastern coasts,) "Future's End" served to establish that Los Angeles and the west coast in general was still one such area where life continued on as normal. This is a bit of a Hand Wave though, as the west coast is still a part of the same country as the east coast. Plus, a great deal of the west coast's economy is based on trade with Asia, which was being ravaged by war at the time.

Ship Tease: While on Earth, Janeway and Chakotay walk very close to each other, for all appearances a couple. At one point they're discussing what their ancient relatives were up to during the time period. During the conversation, Chakotay makes a comment that simply can't be approved under Starfleet regulations towards a ship's captain.

Janeway: (a random woman on skates bumps into the pair and apologies before she skates away) For all I know she might be my great-great-great-great grandmother.

Chakotay: (smiles mischievously) She does have your legs.

Shout-Out: Captain Braxton's diagram and explanation of the predestination paradox (A leads to B leads to C leads to A) with chalk resembles Doc Brown's explanation of alternate timelines in Back to the Future Part 2.

Shrine to Self: Janeway takes note of Starling's "I Love Me" wall. There's even a framed photograph of Starling shaking hands with Richard Nixon. (Apparently, his having been a hippie didn't stop him from making friends with the hippies' least-favorite President once he started using all that future technology to advance his career.)

So Much for Stealth: At the end of Part One, Voyager does a low run over Los Angeles at night so they can beam up Janeway and Chakotay, who are being held at gunpoint. Someone catches it on video and the image is broadcast all over the news.

Some Kind Of Forcefield: Starling in Sickbay. There's also a forcefield around the timeship, preventing Voyager from just beaming it up.

Swiss Cheese Security: Justified as Starling and his minion have access to technology 500 years in advance of Voyager's, so they can break into their computers, or beam someone out through their shields.

Sword over Head: Averted; Starfleet principles or no, when they've run out of options our heroes don't hesitate to kill Starling and Dunbar.

Teleporters and Transporters: Much shenanigans with these. First Janeway and Chakotay are beamed out of Starling's custody. They then kidnap Starling by luring him into a place of which they know the co-ordinates and beam him up to Voyager, despite his efforts to stop them with his 29th Century tricorder, leading to a mild case of Teleportation Sickness. Then Dunbar uses 29th Century technology hidden in a Chronowerx satellite to beam his boss out through Voyager's shields.

Tempting Fate: Janeway swore she'd never let herself get caught in a temporal paradox. Voyager will get involved in so many temporal disruptions it drives Captain Braxton to insanity by Season Five.

Time Travel for Fun and Profit: Having adapted all the technology he can from the timeship, Starling has rebuilt it and intends to steal more technology from the future.

Timey-Wimey Ball: The disaster was caused by Starling stealing Braxton's time ship from Earth. Braxton's time ship was on Earth as a result of his mission to destroy Voyager. Braxton undertook his mission to destroy Voyager because of the disaster. If Braxton had just stayed home twiddling his thumbs in the first place none of it would have ever happened.

Totally Radical: Tom gets a funny look from both Tuvok and Rain when he uses the word "groovy".

Trapped in the Past: Chakotay and B'Elanna speculate on what might happen if they can't get back. Chakotay thinks he might become an archaeologist, as many great discoveries have yet to happen. B'Elanna pointedly doesn't discuss how she'd fit into a pre-First Contact society with Klingon forehead ridges.

Watch the Paint Job: In the first half of the "Future's End" two-parter, Tom and Tuvok need some transportation and so take a truck out on a test-drive, leading to Tuvok arguing about the ethics of hanging onto the truck for longer than they told the dealer they would. The discussion ends up being rendered somewhat irrelevant when Dunbar shows up and vaporizes the truck with a 29th century disruptor.

You Have to Believe Me!: Braxton tried to warn people that Starling stole his timeship and would cause a catastrophe in the future. Naturally he got thrown in the looney bin and is being treated as a public nuisance by police.

Policeman: No need to get upset about this, we just want to talk to you about the signs. Now, there've been a few people complaining.

Braxton: Captain, tell them I'm not crazy. Tell them I'm from the future. They came from the future too, you know.

(Janeway and Chakotay give embarrassed "This guy's a looney" smiles)

Braxton: Traitors!

Averted with Tom Paris. When Rain Robinson demands an explanation, and points out the flaws in his "secret agent" story, he just says that he can't explain but when Dunbar tried to kill her, he and Tuvok protected her, so she's just going to have to accept that they're the good guys and what they're doing is Classified Information.

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